Waters of time

Produced for the Festival of Britain, this film combines a series of impressions of life along the 69 miles of the Thames from the mouth of the river to Kingston. The camera explores the wharves and warehouses of the waterfront; the docking of a ship; loading and reloading of its cargo; aerial views of the port; busy activity in the holds of the ships; wine cellars in warehouse basements. In the factual passages of the film the commentary is spoken by a dockmaster and docker; in the remainder of the film, the commentary is in prose and verse.